A human tragedy was narrowly avoided in Althen-des-Paluds, a town in Vaucluse located at the foot of Mont Ventoux. While she was in the garden on Thursday, a mother heard the dull sound of a worrying crack coming from the house. She immediately ran to alert her two children, before picking them up and getting to safety alongside them.
Moments later, this traditional house, probably built at the beginning of the 20th century, which belonged to the grandparents, suddenly collapsed, reports France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur“Her dog had just run away. In hindsight, the lady says to herself that he must have smelled something,” explains Michel Terrisse, the mayor of this town of 2,749 inhabitants, located about fifteen kilometers east of Avignon.
The roof and the first floor fell in, without warning. Experts must now try to understand the reasons for the collapse. The house is cut in two. A danger order has been issued by the municipality to prohibit access and cut off the adjoining street. “We are doing everything we can to help them find a rehousing solution,” the mayor explained to France 3. The consequences could have been even more dramatic if the collapse had occurred in the middle of the night.